Lose Unrealistic Mind-Set First, and the Weight Will Follow

Every time I walk into a health food store, I grow more alarmed at the number of new products that claim to be able to turn you into a Greek goddess--just like that. Between the rub-on creams that are supposed to make fat thighs disappear and pills that are supposed to take the place of exercise, I lost count at 20.

What these products reflect is an unrealistic mind-set: magic as a way of losing weight. No wonder the country continues to get fatter. Anyone who buys these wares and expects to lose weight without changing their eating and exercise habits is in for a big letdown.

The truth is, weight loss is as much about thinking well as about exercising and eating well. Which is why people who mean well often sabotage their efforts without knowing it. They end up losing the same pounds over and over again, or they never reach their target weight, or they blow up--both weight-wise and emotionally--in frustration.

From what I’ve observed over the past 25 years or so, there are six common ways in which we unconsciously or unknowingly sabotage our weight-loss efforts. Here are the first three (I’ll give you the final three next week):

1. We set unrealistic goals. For this, I think, much of the blame has to fall on the media for giving us unrealistic images of what we should all look like. Unfortunately, physiology and genetics get in the way.

The average person who decides to lose weight can reasonably expect to lose no more than 15% of current body weight on an aggressive but sensible plan of exercise and diet. Trying to lose much more than that is a recipe for emotional disaster that may, ironically, prevent any weight loss at all. What happens is that when you get frustrated because you’re not reaching your (unrealistic) target weight, you’re likely to gain the weight back--and then some.

2. We focus on weight, not health. Dieting is a short-term goal; good health lasts a lifetime. The classic dieter generally tries “to be good” for a certain length of time in order to reach a particular target weight, then begins the steady climb back up the scale. In other words, a temporary goal produces a temporary solution.

In this country, health is unfortunately defined as the absence of illness. To me, that’s too narrow a definition; health isn’t necessarily just living without those diseases. Health is a state in which the body supports the kind of lifestyle that gives your life meaning and purpose, whether it’s long walks on the beach or playing with your kids.

What researchers are finding out is that dieting for the sole purpose of changing the way you look leads eventually to dissatisfaction--and weight gain. On the other hand, when people lose weight gradually, to improve their health, the pounds tend to stay off.

The moral? Don’t diet. Instead, approach weight loss in terms of a comprehensive plan for good health.

3. We don’t make exercise a priority.

Believe me, in my 25-plus years as a fitness professional, I’ve heard every excuse there is for not exercising. No. 1, of course, is, “I don’t have time.” But the truth is, most of us who say that really do have the time; we just allocate it to something else--like talking on the phone to a friend for 30 minutes or watching TV for an hour.

My solution: Watch TV while you exercise, or exercise with a friend. Exercising with a partner is a great way to kill two birds with one stone as well as keep yourself honest. It’s a heck of a lot easier to get in your workout every day if you’re accountable to someone else.

Then too, remember that not every workout has to be a killer. I’ve seen time and again that those who believe they have to kill themselves at every workout give up working out sooner, not later. Most of my workouts, for example, are pretty moderate. Only once a week do I really turn it on, because my attitude is that consistency is what matters.

To be consistent, find something you like to do. You’d be surprised at how much easier it is to schedule exercise when you look forward to it. In fact, find more than one activity and alternate them. After all, even your favorite song would get boring at some point if that’s all you listened to.

Next week, I’ll outline the three major ways we sabotage our nutrition, undermining our health and our weight loss goals.

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Copyright 1999 by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her new video, “Kickboxing Workout.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.